Gandalf's Return
by Lady of Rivendell78
Summary: What happened after Gandalf was rewoken after battling with the Balrog? This is my version of what happened after Gandalf reawoke. Rated PG-13 for later violence. This is my first fanfic. so please RR.
1. Awakening

Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me. Also, most if not all the places mentioned in this story are not mine. They belong to the brilliant J.R.R. Tolkien.  
  
Rated PG-13 for later violence.  
  
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The soft sound of crying could be heard in the meadows of Rohan. It was Eowyn, daughter of Eomund, and sister of Eomer. She was clearly upset, her hands shielding her face, trying to hide her tears.  
  
Her brother had been banished from the kingdom of Rohan. Though she had pleaded with Theoden, he made no answer, for his mind was overcome by Saruman. Full of grief and sadness, she had rushed here to try to calm her feelings.  
  
"This is foolish," Eowyn thought to herself. "A shieldmaiden of Rohan sheds no tears. I must be strong." With those words in mind, she walked on, trying to stop crying.  
  
Ahead she saw a flock of eagles perched on what looked to be a green moss colored log. The eagles pecked at the log as if to try to peck a hole in it.  
  
Eowyn was about to turn and leave when she thought she saw the log move slightly.  
  
Eowyn shook her head slightly. "You're losing your common sense Eowyn. How can a log move?" With those words to herself, she turned to leave.  
  
Eowyn froze, and slowly turned around again. The log was getting up. This time she was sure that she wasn't imagining it. That was no log, but a man. He was covered with sticks and grass.  
  
The man slowly got up groaning. He didn't seem to notice her yet, but turned his attention to the eagles that had been sitting on him. This gave Eowyn a chance to study him.  
  
The man was old, with white hair. He was dressed in robes of white, with a tall staff by his side. She thought that he looked familiar, but couldn't place where she had seen him before. She Knew one thing though. This was no ordinary man. He was a wizard.  
  
When Eowyn looked up at the wizard's face again, she found that he was staring at her as intently as she was staring at him.  
  
"Well," the man said in an inquiring tone. "Are you going to tell me who you are and what you are doing here?"  
  
"That should be my question to you, for you are the one who has no business. As for me, I'm Eowyn, daughter of Eomund, shieldmaiden of Rohan. I was merely taking a walk in the meadow. Who might you be?"  
  
The man gazed at her again, his eyes filled with realization. Finally, he spoke. "Though I do not remember my own name, I know my mission. I am trying to find a man named Aragorn, and his companions. I have something very important to tell them. They might also need my aid on their journey."  
  
Eowyn was astonished. How could someone not know their own name! It sounded awfully suspicious to her. Maybe this man was trying to hide something. Maybe he was going to try to kidnap her. The ideas ran through her mind.  
  
"Why should I trust you?" She asked the wizard finally.  
  
"Because I can help you. Though I know that many think I'm an enemy, I am actually a friend of Rohan and of its people. I have no intension of harming you. All that I want to know is if Aragorn has passed this way yet."  
  
"No, he has not." She replied. She believed in her heart that this man was a friend. She decided that though she did not completely trust him yet, she trusted him enough to answer his questions. "Who is this Aragorn?" she asked.  
  
The wizard smiled, as if he knew her feelings. "Aragorn is a king of the race of men. Though it is not widely known, he is the heir of Isildur, and the rightful king of Gondor. He has not yet claimed the throne, but may one day do so to bring together that race of men."  
  
Eowyn was astonished yet again. She hoped to meet Aragorn someday. If this man knew him, then he must be a friend of the race of men. For the first time, she trusted him fully. She smiled and replied to him. "If I see him, I will send a message to you, wherever you might be. I know that you must soon leave, but will you first accept some food in the halls of Rohan?"  
  
The man smiled sadly. "I would love to, but I am not a welcome guest in Rohan. If I set foot there, all I bring is ill-looks and dis-ease. I will not trouble you my lady. I must be going."  
  
With that, they exchanged good-byes and he turned to face the west. He raised two fingers to his mouth and whistled. It was a piercing sound that carried for many miles. All of the sudden, the sound of hooves could be heard, accompanied by the sound of joyful neighing.  
  
Looking into the distance, Eowyn thought that she saw that it was Shadowfax, one of their prized horses. The man turned back and saw her inquiring look. "He was a gift to me from Theoden." With those words, he leapt onto Shadowfax's back, and set off at a fast gallop.  
  
Things with Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas were not going so well. Ever since the breaking of the fellowship, they had been trying to find their hobbit friends, Merry and Pippin. They were running out of food, and there was still no sign of either Merry or Pippin. Boromir had told them before he died, that the hobbits had been captured by an army of Uruk-Hai. Now, they were following the Uruk-Hais' trail.  
  
It had been days of tracking, and they still hadn't caught up with them. Their spirits were getting low now, and their hope was running out.  
  
"How did this happen?" Aragorn asked himself quietly. "How did we let this happen? Merry and Pippin captured. A war starting in middle earth. How did the world come to this horrible fate?"  
  
Legolas heard Aragorn's sorrowful words, and came to sit by his friend. "Don't blame yourself for what has happened. It is not your fault. It is the fault of Saruman and Sauron. They were the ones who started this madness, not you.  
  
Aragorn looked up and smiled a weak smile. "Thanks Legolas." He said to his friend. "You comfort me. Gimli!" He called the Dwarf' name, and soon saw his head appear from behind a cliff.  
  
"We must rest for the night. We can go no farther." Aragorn told Gimli. "Let's pitch a fire, and see what food we have left."  
  
While his friends rushed to start the fire, Aragorn sat down on the ground. Though his friends tried to act cheerful for his sake, he knew that they too were in despair. "I wish Gandalf was here." He said, facing the nighttime sky.  
  
If you didn't figure out already, the wizard that Eowyn met was Gandalf. Someone told me that Gandalf couldn't remember his own name when he returned, so I added that in there. I updated this chapter a little bit, because people were telling me that this story was not totally based on the book, and that I got my facts wrong. I hope that this makes it a bit better. To anyone who's reading this right now, I want to tell you that this story is not totally canon. Some of it is from my own imagination. Please R/R! 


	2. An Old Friend

Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me. Also, most if not all the places mentioned in this story are not mine. They belong to the brilliant J.R.R. Tolkien.  
  
Author's note: This story is not completely based on the book and movie. Though some things might be similar, the timeline and events in this story are not accurate. And thanks to everyone who reviewed this story!  
  
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The wizard rode hard, away from Rohan, away from the place where Eowyn still stood, watching him. He had hoped that he would be able to find someone who could tell him some news of the Fellowship. Questions flooded his mind. Were they still together? Were they safe? Did Frodo still have the ring? The old wizard sighed. So many questions and no answers. He would have to find what remained of the fellowship first.  
  
The Istari didn't really know where he was going to go to search for the fellowship. Hopefully they were still alive and together. He had hoped that he would find someone who knew of them. He rode north, toward the Moria, since that was where the Fellowship was when he fell.  
  
It was midday when the old Istari finally stopped to talk a rest. He'd been riding for many hours and Shadowfax was thirsty. They stopped near the Angren (Isen) River for rest and a drink. The thirsty Shadowfax immediately took a long drink from the swiftly moving water as soon as the old Istari got off his back. The Istari dipped down to drink too, for he was also thirsty from the long ride and the scorching sun overhead.  
  
Shadowfax would have wanted to stay and rest for a while longer, but the old Istari was in a hurry. Every moment that passed, the Fellowship could be in danger. They might need his aid and guidance.  
  
He had just leaped back onto Shadowfax's back when Shadowfax neighed loudly. The old Istari was puzzled. Shadowfax was more intelligent than most horses. If there were evil beings nearby, he would have galloped off. So whatever was nearby had to be a friend of his. He waited, hoping that whoever Shadowfax had sensed would appear and show himself.  
  
Suddenly, someone dressed in brown appeared before the old Istari. "Radagast!" he exclaimed. "Radagast my friend, it has been many days since I have last seen you. How are you, my friend?"  
  
"Gandalf?" Radagast asked hesitantly. "Is it really you? You're all... white."  
  
The old Istari was puzzled. "Gandalf? Oh yes. That was my name. I used to be Gandalf the Grey. Now I'm Gandalf the white, but now is not the time for tales to be told. I am in haste. I need to find what remains of the Fellowship. Radagast, can you help me? Can you ask your animals to search for my friends?"  
  
Radagast still hadn't gotten over the shock of seeing Gandalf so different from before, but quickly recovered. "I guess I could. It might take a while though. First I need to call my animal friends." With those words, Radagast turned around, spread his arms apart, and faced the sky. He made a series of tittering, chirping, and whistling noises that sounded oddly like a bird's call.  
  
All of the sudden, to air around them burst with the sound of flapping wings. Birds of all sizes landed on and around Radagast. He turned back around and faced Gandalf, careful not to step on any of his feathered friends. "Who do you need me to look for?"  
  
Gandalf thought for a moment and decided that he would most want to talk to Aragorn who was now the leader of the fellowship. He started to describe him. "A tall man, with dark hair and a rugged appearance. He's probably traveling with an elf and a dwarf. The elf is tall and fair. The dwarf is short and bears and ax." Radagast translated all of what Gandalf had said for the birds. They immediately set off in search of these people. When he finished telling the birds whom to search for, he faced Gandalf. "My friend, the birds are searching for your companions. I will travel with you until they return. My horse is tethered nearby."  
  
Gandalf was glad of the company. It had been long since he had last walked with Radagast. His old friend seemed to feel the same. Together they strolled along the trees to find Radagast's horse. Then they sat down under a huge willow tree and waited for his birds to return. Though Gandalf hated the fact that they were wasting time, there wasn't much else to do but sit, and wait.  
  
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Merry and Pippin were in a very uncomfortable position right now. Being in the grip of a stubborn Ent for three hours straight wasn't very comfortable, definitely if that Ent squeezed you even tighter every time you tried to say something. Merry was grumpy and Pippin was just hungry.  
  
"HOOM," said Treebeard in an extremely loud and slow voice. "You little orcs get heavier every hour."  
  
Pippin, who was both hungry and tired now, spoke up, "Then perhaps you could put us down for a bit. Maybe you don't have to eat, but we do. I already missed breakfast and second breakfast. Are we to miss luncheon too?"  
  
Treebeard seemed to be considering what Pippin had just said. "Hoom... maybe you're right. Even little orcs have to eat sometime, but there is nothing in this forest to eat besides berries and ent-draught from the entwash."  
  
Pippin was in no condition to be picky about his food. "Ent-draught and berries sound like a fine lunch to me. Don't you agree Merry?"  
  
Merry grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "Why can't Pippin keep quiet for 5 minutes?" Luckily Pippin didn't hear. He was too busy imagining how good it would feel to have some food in his stomach again. He didn't even notice that Merry hadn't answered his question.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, they had reached to entwash. Treebeard decided that the "little orcs" couldn't escape so he put them down by the river. Pippin, always eager for food and drink immediately stooped to down to drink from the river. Merry was still trying to stretch and regain use of all of his body parts.  
  
"Merry! This water tastes really good!" Pippin called. "It almost feels like I can grow another three inches just by drinking it.  
  
"That is because you can little orc." Merry and Pippin turned around. Treebeard was back. "But now, there are things we must attend to. The white wizard will know what to do."  
  
Merry and Pippin looked at each other. "The white wizard? Saruman..." they said together. Before they could say anything else, they were swept off their feet and in Treebeard's leafy hands/ limbs once more, this time, to face their doom.  
  
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That stunk more than my first chapter. Oh well. Please R/R. I'd appreciate it a lot. Please leave any tips you might have. Flame me if you have to, but if it's possible, make them nice flames... Does anyone have any ideas as to what should happen next? I'm all out of them. If you review, then can you tell me what you think I could add to the story to make it better? Thanks a lot! 


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